Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_E73_Small.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M700_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH81H110
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR3-1600DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots22
RAM speed1600 MT/s2133 MT/s
RAM max16 GB32 GB
USB ports(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;(4x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsSerial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);2x USB-A 2.0; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSUATX 180 WTFX 210 W
Weight6.0 kg (13.2 lb)9 kg (19.8 lb)
Released20132015
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

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* Dedicated GPU warning: Check if your particular power supply model has enough power. Additionally some PSUs don't come with an auxiliary PCIe power connector and you may need to buy a SATA to PCIe power adapter.

Differences between Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small and Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 SFF which was released in 2015. The Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small is older and entered production in 2013.

Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.

Processor

Usually the newer the generation of the CPU, the better the performance and efficiency is. If your budget allows it, you should go with the Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 RAM). Usually two RAM slots are more than enough for most cases. However, the count should be taken into account when planning how much and what combination of RAM you are going to need for your system.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 SFF is using the faster 2133 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 SFF as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 6. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. None of the desktop models has a USB 3.1 port (10Gb/s), so if you need a fast connection to your peripherals, like external Solid State Drive, you will need to look elsewhere.

The DisplayPort is usually the more popular video port used with desktops and laptops, while the HDMI is used predominantly in consumer electronics. That's why, it is good to see that both of the models come with a DisplayPort.

None of the models has an HDMI port. If your monitor supports only the HDMI interface, you will need to buy an adapter. Such adapters are cheap so nothing to worry about.

SATA slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 3 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 SFF has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

Make sure that the available M.2 slot supports the PCIe (also called NVMe) interface. This is important as there are M.2 slots which support only the inferior SATA III interface. For comparison, the SATA III interface has max speeds of 6Gb/s, while the PCIe 3.0 x4 will support speeds up to 32Gb/s!

Power Supply

Having a Power Supply Unit with high power rating is important, if you are going to use components which require extra power. The Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 210 Watts. Choosing either one depends on your specific requirements and use case. Also don't forget that some models might have more than one PSU option - try to always get the most powerful one, especially if you plan to upgrade to a powerful GPU.

Motherboard

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_E73_Small_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M700_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout